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Kinda miss Reiss' constant production @ the Globe, but Gasper is doing a fine job.

Excerpt:

The Patriots defense was supposed to be the weak link this season, but their offensive teammates knew otherwise.

â€œI donâ€™t think anyone outside of our locker room had faith in them. We believed in them because weâ€™d go against them every day at practice, and we know what they can do,â€™â€™ said left guard Logan Mankins. â€œWe believed in them, and theyâ€™ve done a good job so far.â€™â€™

Even more impressive is that New England has played this type of defense without its best defensive player, linebacker Jerod Mayo, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the first quarter of the first game of the season. He has been replaced at middle linebacker by Gary Guyton.

Guyton has proved to be a good backup for Mayo and is getting great experience in his absence. When Mayo returns, that means we will have two powerful LBs in the middle. Will that allow us to go more 3-4 and also will that help us to blitz more?

Guyton has proved to be a good backup for Mayo and is getting great experience in his absence. When Mayo returns, that means we will have two powerful LBs in the middle. Will that allow us to go more 3-4 and also will that help us to blitz more?

Guyton has proved to be a good backup for Mayo and is getting great experience in his absence. When Mayo returns, that means we will have two powerful LBs in the middle. Will that allow us to go more 3-4 and also will that help us to blitz more?

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Supposedly they've also been using Guyton at OLB, so I'm not sure.

Then again, as someone else noted, the Pats have been using a LOT of nickel/dime defenses; in fact, against the Jets their "average" D was 4-2-5, and against the Falcons it was a 3.7-2.6-4.7.

Guyton has proved to be a good backup for Mayo and is getting great experience in his absence. When Mayo returns, that means we will have two powerful LBs in the middle. Will that allow us to go more 3-4 and also will that help us to blitz more?

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I wouldnt call Guyton "powerful". He has excellent speed. Good instincts, seems pretty smart, has some strength and is learning the nuances of the role by playing more. Hes responded pretty darn well IMO.

I know you are not comparing him to Mayo as Mayo is a vastly superior player but Mayo is someone that I would call "powerful".

To your point, when Mayo comes back this D and Guyton has more experience to draw on, this D will be better for it no question.

Yup. Also, when he made his SB pick, he picked NE over NYG. Woodson (who picked NYG over SD) called him a homer and he chuckled and agreed...but then Tedy said that he was basing that not on the offense, but rather the D, and expected Wilfork and Warren to really step it up.

Intersting. Very interesting. Or he's just feeding into my need to believe that BB has some defensive shock and awe up his sleeve that nobody suspects! Whichever! Something has to get me through until Monday night!

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Looks like Tedy knew what he was talking about! And that was before losing Mayo...even more props to the D in that case.